Snacktime headlines opening night for pop-up park The Oval

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Oval officially opens for summer on Friday with eight acres of fun, food and family-friendly activities.

To kick off the annual pop-up park, right in the heart of the Ben Franklin Parkway, Philly's beloved band Snacktime is headlining the opening night concert on Friday night at 6:30 p.m.

"Bring your dancing shoes and bring some water because we're going to be sweating and we're going to be dancing a lot, and we're going to turn up for you guys," says Michael Spearman, who plays trombone.

"We go with the vibe of the crowd. If they want to turn up, if they want to hear some techno, if they want to hear some house, hear some old school, hip hop, funk, that's what we're going to play."

Snacktime is comprised of local musicians. They came together during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to spread joy and keep live music alive during a dark time.

They became hugely popular here, and are about to hit the road with shows in various cities. Snacktime also has a second album coming out later this year.

"It's an amazing thing," said Sam Gellerstein, who plays sousaphone.

"I feel like we're in the situation where if you build it, they will come. The whole time we've been building to this thing, to keep doing more stuff for Philadelphia, and they've been behind us the whole time. This is just another fun thing we could do for the city, a free show. It should be really cool, we're glad to be here."

The Oval is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through August 20.

There's also a beer garden, food trucks and fun for the whole family.

Click here for details and a full schedule.